Shloka 13
The Description of the Greatness of the Gaṅgā
प्रकृष्टैः पातकै र्घोरैः पापिनः पुरुषाधमान् । प्रसह्य तारयेद्गुंगा गच्छतो निरयेऽशुचौ ॥ १४ ॥
prakṛṣṭaiḥ pātakai rghoraiḥ pāpinaḥ puruṣādhamān | prasahya tārayedguṃgā gacchato niraye'śucau || 14 ||
അത്യന്തം ഘോര പാതകങ്ങളാൽ ഭാരിതരായ, മനുഷ്യരിൽ അധമരായ പാപികളെയും—അശുചി നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നവരെയും—ഗംഗ ബലമായി പോലും കരകയറ്റുന്നു।
Suta (narrating the tirtha-mahatmya section; traditional Purana frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It proclaims the extraordinary salvific power (tāraka-śakti) of the Ganga: even those headed to naraka due to severe pātakas can be rescued through her purifying grace as a supreme tirtha.
By elevating Ganga as a divine agency of deliverance, the verse supports bhakti in the form of tirtha-śraddhā—reverent reliance on sacred presence—where surrender and faith in the holy tirtha lead to purification and a turn toward dharmic life.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is dharma-śāstric prayāścitta through tirtha practices (e.g., Ganga-snana, japa, and offerings) emphasized in Purāṇic ritual culture.